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Knee-brace gadget harvests energy from walking

Posted at 3:04 PM on 08 Feb 2008

Frustrated by your iPod batteries dying while you're on the treadmill? Keep an eye out for a new knee brace designed to harvest energy from a walker's stride. From only one minute of movement, the device outlined in the journal Science can generate enough energy to power a cell phone for half an hour. A lightweight version of the brace could be available within 18 months and "promises to have significant medical, military, and consumer applications," says lead researcher Max Donelan. "It allows a soldier to get back home safely. It benefits stroke victims, amputees, and others who rely on power-assisted medical devices for mobility." And, of course, could assuage your iPod woes, if you shake a leg.

sources: BBC News, The New York Times, The Telegraph, ScienceNOW

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Comments: (4 comments)

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For bikes?

This would be cool if I could ride my bike while wearing it.

I hate all the generator contraptions for bike wheels, but this would let me use rechargeable lights on my clothing and helmet.

by jabailo at 9:22 AM on 09 Feb 2008

Excellent

Neatly gets around all that hoopla about mini-solar cells woven into handbags! I absolutely love creative genius that manages to sidetep the ultra high tech love affair people seem to have nowadays!

The human body produces rather large amounts of energy through motion and capturing it to some good purpose is brilliant. Bravo!

If you continue to do what you've always done you'll continue to get what you've always got. - Yogi Berra

by Matt at 6:02 AM on 11 Feb 2008

Brilliant. I want one plus, what about farts?

I really like this one and would purchase it at the drop of an overripe apple.

What about fart technology? It would be great if we could harvest the energy in farts to run heating systems etc.

Or how about keyboards. Everytime we click a key that generates energy, which is not harvested. Or on cars, why don't they harvest wind energy. There is a massive and reliable slip stream around cars at all speeds and it is not harvested.

Mad ideas aren't they. Apart from the farting one they are all pretty easy to implement. It's time to think outside of the box.

Tom Byrne Illustration http://www.tombyrne.com Tom Byrne Paintings http://www.tjbyrne.com

by arty at 1:13 AM on 12 Feb 2008

energy isn't free

That energy you create while walking is coming from somewhere and in this case it's food, which takes resources to make. However, since most americans have plenty of energy to spare I think this is a great idea.

by sluggo013 at 10:46 AM on 13 Feb 2008

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